Community Colleges in Tennessee
Community college pricing in Tennessee is remarkably uniform. The 13 colleges we rank charge between $4,730 and $5,296 a year, only $566 apart.
The median college charges $4,762, $216 (5%) above the national community college median of $4,546. The median net price is $5,387, above the median tuition, because net price also counts books, transportation and living costs that tuition leaves out. That is why a community college can show a net price higher than its sticker price.
Nashville State Community College ranks first at $4,730, ahead of Motlow State Community College ($4,738) and Jackson State Community College ($4,740).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- Public community colleges and state colleges whose main award is the associate degree
- Ranked by in-state tuition & fees, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in Tennessee
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported in-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
- State colleges that also grant a few bachelor's degrees but mostly award associate degrees are included and marked in the table
- This page is published only when at least 10 schools qualify; Tennessee has 13
- Data period
- In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 13 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | Nashville State Community College Nashville, TN Public · 2-year | $4,730 | $17,714 | $6,777 | 18% | 5,653 |
| 2 | Motlow State Community College Tullahoma, TN Public · 2-year | $4,738 | $17,722 | $15,742 | 31% | 3,962 |
| 3 | Jackson State Community College Jackson, TN Public · 2-year | $4,740 | $17,724 | $6,236 | 23% | 2,511 |
| 4 | Walters State Community College Morristown, TN Public · 2-year | $4,752 | $17,736 | $5,387 | 35% | 3,591 |
| 5 | Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, TN Public · 2-year | $4,756 | $17,740 | $7,802 | 26% | 5,339 |
| 6 | Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg, TN Public · 2-year | $4,758 | $17,742 | $4,612 | 31% | 2,103 |
| 7 | Cleveland State Community College Cleveland, TN Public · 2-year | $4,762 | $17,746 | $6,384 | 33% | 1,975 |
| 8 | Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga, TN Public · 2-year | $4,772 | $17,756 | $5,283 | 24% | 5,284 |
| 9 | Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis, TN Public · 2-year | $4,778 | $17,750 | $4,754 | 19% | 5,047 |
| 10 | Northeast State Community College Blountville, TN Public · 2-year | $4,782 | $17,766 | $6,864 | 33% | 4,404 |
| 11 | Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville, TN Public · 2-year | $4,786 | $17,770 | $4,983 | 30% | 6,715 |
| 12 | Roane State Community College Harriman, TN Public · 2-year | $4,998 | $18,630 | $4,270 | 34% | 3,250 |
| 13 | Columbia State Community College Columbia, TN Public · 2-year | $5,296 | $18,112 | $4,734 | 30% | 3,897 |
How to compare these colleges
Community college tuition is often quoted at the in-district or in-state rate, and the out-of-state column shows what a nonresident would pay. Colleges marked as also granting some bachelor's degrees are state colleges that mostly award associate degrees. If you plan to transfer, check the receiving university's transfer agreements before choosing on price alone.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for Tennessee
Cheapest colleges in Tennessee
36 schools
Cheap colleges in Tennessee for out-of-state students
23 schools
Best value colleges in Tennessee
29 schools
Highest graduate earnings in Tennessee
37 schools
Most affordable private colleges in Tennessee
26 schools
Same list in nearby states
Community colleges in North Carolina
27 schools
Community colleges in Missouri
14 schools
Community colleges in Mississippi
14 schools
All 58 colleges in Tennessee See the national version of this ranking